A Different Beginning
by kittykatkaren97
Summary: A chance encounter kicks off a lot of trouble. - "Suzaku... Before we do this... You should know..." - Suzalulu AU
1. Start One: Meeting Place

**A/N: A short AU Fanfiction inspired by a sad-in-context-but-not-out-of statement by my mother at New Year's Eve dinner. Fluff, slight shounen-ai, but can be taken as just friendship. There might also be a continuation of it, which might turn into a multi-chapter story, but I make no promises as to it's existence or completion.**

~0~0~0~

Warm breath came out as puffs of fog as Lelouch made his way through the thick crowd, bumping into people as his violet eyes caught on anything that called out for his attention. His red jacket-clad arms were wrapped around him in a futile attempt to warm up, yet he couldn't bring himself to actually go inside; after all, he couldn't read any of the signs and didn't want to end up someplace weird.

He shivered. What he needed was to get inside and empty his bladder, but even more than that - well, less so - what he needed was a tour guide. Earlier he had attempted to strike up a conversation with a local, though it was futile as the woman only spoke Japanese and Lelouch only spoke English.

Around his shivering form were tan, dark haired natives; he could not spot a single person with a complexion that matched his own pale one. It seemed to him that New Year's Eve was not a common place for tourists in suburban cities. No, everyone was likely at home with their families, or at least in their own country. Damn.

His stomach growled painfully, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since the free airplane food - which, he asserted, could hardly be called food in the first place - and that his apetite was ravenous. He hadn't even been able to exchange his pounds for yen, so he suffered in silence. His regrettable lack of usable money also brought his mind to where he would spend the - or however many - night.

Grumbling to himself, he slinked down an abandoned alley to escape the cause of his growing headache. The alley, however, turned out not to be as abandoned as he thought, however, as a menacing throat cleared behind him. Turning around quickly, albeit clumsily, Lelouch narrowed his eyes on what appeared to be a classic thug, his ebony hair partially hiding his slight scowl. The amethyst eyed boy must have appeared weak, which he was, and thus an easy target to anyone looking for a wallet to steal.

"Kin dase yo," the thug growled out in, of course it had to be, Japanese. There was a threat to the words, and Lelouch assumed it to mean something along the lines of 'Give me your money'. He certainly wasn't asking nicely, in any case. Lelouch stood his ground, which only served to anger the other, who shouted, more fiercely, "Baka! Kin dase yo!"

He stalked over to the Brit and made a move to grab the collar of his jacket, but his hand was stopped in midair as he let out an abrupt cry of pain before following to his knees. "I think you should go home," a new voice said, the voice that belong to the curly headed boy who was holding the thug's arm above his head in a grip to firm that Lelouch could almost feel the pressure. "You wouldn't want to ruin the holiday."

The newcomer released his hold, and the thug gave him a fearful look before scurrying off into the crowd. Lelouch watched and listened to his saviour carefully. He was clearly Japanese, yet his accent was muddled with sounds of a foreign accent that was all too familiar. Strong, authoritative; he was in the militia. Not only the police, but the army, specifically the Britannian army. Strange. So, an Honorary Brit. His clothing showed no sign of Western culture though, being merely a blue and white yukata. "I didn't realise that the Britannian military helped strangers off-duty," Lelouch blurted out, his contempt for his own country rising like bile in his throat.

His rescuer gave him a startled look. "I-I- How did you...?"

Lelouch's eyes widened when his own words hit him. "My apologies," he amended smoothly. "I'm more than a bit shaken up." He didn't elaborate on why. "I was actually looking for something. My name is Lelouch."

"Suzaku Kururugi," his rescuer introduced, bowing in respect despite the earlier comment. "May I ask what you are looking for?"

So Lelouch's presumption was correct. This boy was, of course, willing to help a Britannian civilian who needed it despite the fact that he had no real reason to. The ebony haired teen forced himself not to grit his teeth at the thought. Such a corrupt nation as Britannia didn't deserve such loyalty from the Japanese people - the Elevens - that the empire ruled with an iron fist. But that wasn't the issue at hand. "Yes," Lelouch responded with a smile, "I was looking for someone to show me around. Someone I could actually understand."

Suzaku nodded and relaxed slightly, though he maintained his formal stance. "I have no one waiting for me, so I can show you around."

"And it feels much better spending such holidays with others, yes?" Lelouch smiled faintly, a small, bittersweet thing. He should be spending the New Year with his sister, not in some unfamiliar country. "But only if you want to. I wouldn't want to force you to chaperone me."

Almost sighing in relief, the Japanese boy gave him another nod. "Yes, that's right. And just so you know, most of the people here actually do speak English, but they'd just prefer to spend the holiday without-"

He stopped himself, but Lelouch knew the words that almost spilled from his mouth, so he continued. "Without being looked down on as Elevens by their oppressors. They want to celebrate they're own way, away from the Britannians, where they can put up Japanese signs and speak freely in Japanese as they grew up doing. They want to celebrate a happy holiday with their families, and they want to forget, even if only for a little while, that to the rest of the world, they are Elevens, mere Numbers, who inhabit the Britannian colony called Area Eleven."

Suzaku stared at him through his rant until the Brit finished, and it was the moment that the speech ended that Lelouch's stomach decided to give yet another demanding grumble. The Japanese boy chuckled. "It sounds to me like you're hungry," he commented. "Why don't I start off this tour with a bite to eat?"

Holding a hand over his stomach, the Brit shrugged. "I don't have any yen to buy with."

Though he tried to hide it with a cough, Suzaku's face betrayed his amusement. "Is that your only argument? This is still a Britannian colony; you can pay with the money you use back home."

"Oh, right." Lelouch forced himself not to stammer as heat rose to his face. Logically, he should have known that - and very few people could stump him in the logic department - but all the signs were advertising low prices in yen, not pounds. He cleared his throat. "Yes, I knew that."

Suzaku's countenance settled into an easy grin. He was a good person, Lelouch decided. "Anyway, come on, I'll show you a favourite stand of mine." He held out a hand, but his new companion hesitated to take it.

Grin faltering, the Japanese boy dropped his hand, then waved for Lelouch to follow him, but before he could take a step away, the Brit grabbed his arm. "It's crowded out there, I don't want to get separated," Lelouch said easily, and it was half true. More so, it was the fact that Suzaku, who had every right to hate him and his entire nation, was offering such kindness to a stranger. "And I'll pay for the food. Think of it... as my thank you for helping me."

"I..." Suzaku blinked, then shook his head, then smiled. "Only if you want to."

~0~0~0~

Violet eyes narrowed at the wooden box in his lap. If he were to be completely honest, Lelouch was hesitant to try Japanese cuisine because - and he hated how snobbish it made him seem - he was picky when it came to food. There were many people who hardly had enough food to get by, yet he had such a damned refined taste.

A hand landed over his, ceasing the slight shaking of the hand that held the chopsticks given to him by the nice lady at the shop. "It's only sushimi and dumplings," Suzaku told him with a chuckle. "Is it really that scary?"

Sighing as he nodded, Lelouch glanced around the small park that they occupied to make sure there was no one that would be offended if he didn't like the food. It was a ways away from the action and excitement of the festival, so they were almost completely alone. "Suzaku... Before we do this... You should know..."

The Japanese boy quirked an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I..." Lelouch sucked in a breath, and then rushed out as he exhaled, "I always cook my own food because the food that other people make rarely satisfies me."

He heard a snort to his right. "Just try it," Suzaku encouraged. "It's my personal favourite. I come here every year just to taste it."

Lelouch attempted to use the chopsticks correctly, he really did, but in the end he dropped one and used the other to skewer a dumpling in a manor that was anything but graceful. "So, uh, you come here every year?" he asked before taking a suspicious bite of the food. By the time he swallowed, he was looking at them in a new light. "Without your family or friends?"

"Family..." Suzaku whispered to himself. He shook his head. "Speaking of, I never caught your surname."

It was meant to sound light, conversational, but there was a curious note that made the Brit pause. There was a reason he hadn't given it. How would his newfound companion react if he found out he was in the company of Lelouch Vi Britannia, ninth prince in line to the heir of the imperial throne? No, it was a secret best kept hidden. "Oh, right, it's," he thought quickly, "Lamperouge. It must have slipped my mind, sorry."

The Japanese boy grinned a bit. "Well, Lelouch Lamperouge, I have a question for you."

"Which would be?" Lelouch eyed him warily.

"Do you always spend New Year's alone?"

The Brit froze, staring down at his partially eaten dumplings and his untouched sushimi. "I asked you first," he pointed out after a few moments of silence had stretched between them.

Suzaku laughed, but this time it was shaded by sadness. "My dad... died... a few years ago. I never knew my mother, and I'm an only child, so I guess, yeah, I do spend New Year's alone every year. Your turn now."

"I should be with my younger sister, but my father is cruel." Lelouch scowled at his food. Venom laced his words. His father was the very reason he hated the empire so. "I spoke out against him, and this is his form of punishment. Force me away to a place I hardly know anything about, yet..."

"Maybe it's for the best?"

The wood of the chopstick bent to Lelouch's anger, but the finely made utensil didn't break. Trying to did nothing to ease his frustration, yet the words spoken beside him made him pause. They lapsed into silence, each boy to his own thoughts, until Lelouch inquired, "...How is not being with Nunally for the best?"

"Well..." Suzaku shrugged, his expression sheepish as he gazed at the park. Sakura trees marked the edges, with one standing proud in the middle, but it was winter and the branches were leafless and dead. In the spring, however, they would bloom a beautiful pink. "I mean, I met you. And now..."

A loud boom cut him off. Lelouch stiffened and turned to face the source, but the tension in his shoulders melted away at the sight of what it was. "Fireworks," he said softly.

Suzaku smiled. "I guess we missed the countdown. Anyway, it's just that because I was able to meet you, I, well, didn't spend this holiday, this new year, like I have the last seven, and for that... Thank you, Lelouch Lamperouge."

The Brit returned the look, then frowned. "If you really want to show your gratitude, then take me to a restroom."


	2. Start Two: Waking Thoughts

**A/N: It's short. Deal with it. I'll try to write longer chapters.**

**~0~0~0~**

Eventually, sunlight hitting Suzaku's face is what woke him up. Blinking open his eyes, he frowned when he felt an unfamiliar weight on top of him, but relaxed when he realised it was Lelouch, the Britannian he had met the night before. Perhaps he would be more concerned if he had woken in a hotel room in this position, but as it stood, they were laying on the same bench from the previous night. He remembered that they had gone to the nearest restroom, then returned to finish their food.

It was a bench that Suzaku had slept on a few times, since he never had the money to afford an inn. It was just long enough for him to lay down on, and wide enough so that he had a few inches on either side of him to wiggle. With Lelouch asleep on top of him, however, his ability to move was limited. It wasn't that the Brit was heavy; rather, it was more so that Suzaku simply didn't want to wake him up. He couldn't see his face through the straight, surprisingly soft, black hair that blocked the view of the pale boy's face tucked against Suzaku's collarbone, but he assumed it to be a peaceful one based on how relaxed the rest of his body was.

He didn't want to wake the boy up, so Suzaku settled for resting one of his hands on Lelouch's hair and the other on his back. As though responding to the touch, the Brit nuzzled further into Suzaku's neck, drawing a small chuckle from the Japanese boy.

Glancing at the sky, he judged it to be around eight in the morning, and he resisted the urge to stretch the sleep out of his bones. Suzaku shut his eyes. He felt better than he had in seven years, finally having someone to celebrate a new beginning with. Being an Honorary Britannian in the military - and he had no idea how Lelouch was able to guess that so quickly - he wasn't looked at very kindly by his own people, the Japanese, the Elevens, and the Brits he surrounded himself with treated him badly due to his nationality, so he spent this holiday, and the rest, alone. But this beginning was new, different. He didn't know how to repay Lelouch for giving him company.

The weight on Suzaku's chest shifted, a head burying itself further against him, and deep breaths blew against the Japanese boy's skin. A mumble of, "You smell like fish," proved to him that Lelouch had finally awoken. The Brit sighed, then stiffened, then quickly propped himself up with his elbows on either side of Suzaku, amethyst eyes wide and alarmed. Recognition dawned on his features, and with another sigh, he settled back down on top of his new companion.

Suzaku snorted in amusement, his chest caving in briefly at the action before returning to normal. The Brit grumbled at the disturbance, but that was the extent of his protests. "Tired?" the Japanese boy guessed as he returned his hand to gently stroke Lelouch's hair. The only response he got was a tiny nod. "You're going to have to get up soon, you know. I have to get back home."

There was a pause before Lelouch said, matter-of-factly, "The military base." He sounded much more awake than he had when he'd made his first statement of the morning.

"Sort of. I actually live in a small apartment near the military base," Suzaku informed him. He couldn't help but wonder what the Brit thought of him - in terms of him being an Eleven, of him being in the military, of everything really. "But, um, do you have a way to contact your dad to see if he'll let you back home? I wouldn't feel right leaving you to your own devices."

Lelouch shook his head. "No. I don't have a phone, and I don't know the house number." Shifting once again, he propped himself up on his elbows to make eye contact with Suzaku, who couldn't help but notice what a pretty shade of purple his eyes were. "If he wants me back home, though, I'm sure he can find me."

The Japanese boy took a moment to reflect. There was something distinctly aristocratic about Lelouch, shown by both his behaviour and the fact that his father flew him off to another country just for punishment, but it had taken Suzaku hours to come to that conclusion, unlike the mere seconds it took for the other to figure out that the Japanese was a soldier. In short, Lelouch was an enigma to him.

"Suzaku?"

He started. "Uh, L-Lelouch? What is it?"

The boy in question eased his way off of Suzaku, getting to his feet and stretching before holding out a hand. "Are you okay? You just zoned out all of a sudden," Lelouch told him. His expression was kind, polite. A light growl emitting from his stomach made his fingers curl up, and he glared down at the troublesome digestive organ.

"And you're hungry, too." Suzaku chuckled, though he couldn't say the same for himself. Lelouch turned his glower to his companion, though the Japanese boy swore he could see a light punk blush on his cheeks. "And I was just think that if you don't have a place to stay, I could let you stay at my house for as long as you need to."

For what it was worth, the Brit looked taken aback. His eyes widened and his glare melted, and what was left was a mix between bafflement and something guarded that Suzaku couldn't read. "I'd hate to intrude," Lelouch said, voice brisk and polite, reserved rather than the friendly tone he had reached.

Suzaku sat up, frowning. "Well, do you have money for a hotel then?"

"I have..." Lelouch pulled a wallet out of his pocket and removed a few bills, counting them quickly. Suzaku also kept track of it. The Brit glance back up at him. "How much do hotels cost around here?"

"For one night? More than you have there."

Lelouch glared at him again, tucking his wallet back in the pocket of his red jacket. "Well then, if it's no trouble to you, then I might just take you up on your offer."

Suzaku smiled. "Of course it's no trouble."

**~0~0~0~**

**A/N: Okay, favour to ask: Suggestions. Mildly to excruciatingly detailed suggestions. This story was meant to be a one-shot, so I don't really know what I'm going to do with it. If you want me to continue, give me suggestions.**


	3. Start Three: Questions

**A/N: Hello one, hello all. Here's another quick chapter while I plan out the plot in my head. I think I have an idea, I just need to figure out how to write/execute it. Yeah. This is slightly shorter than the last chapter, but I'm sure it'll satisfy you.**

**~0~0~0~**

"Is that comfotable?"

Suzaku looked up at Lelouch, who sat across from him on the train ride back to the Tokyo Settlement. They had boarded ten minutes previous and taken the seats in the back of the car, and neither of them had broken the silence that fell until the vague question was asked. "Uh..." The Japanese boy furrowed his eyebrow, not understanding. "Is what comfortable?"

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "The yukata. Is the yukata comfortable?" he rephrased, being sure to speak clearly.

Now that Suzaku thought about it, the Brit had in fact been eying his clothing suspiciously the whole time. He'd assumed that something was bothering Lelouch, but he was relieved that he was wrong. After all, he didn't want to feel as though he forced the other to come with him, as that was not his intention. In response to the question, he nodded. "Yes, it is."

And then his companion was silent again. Suzaku tried to figure out whether or not it was a comfortable silence, but quickly gave up in favour of looking out the window. Attempting to read into things always gave him headaches. Eventually, his eyes driften back to Lelouch, who would glance around the almost empty train car every few seconds before returning to his own thought, and smiled slightly. Enigmatic or not, the Japanese felt as though he really had made a friend in the other boy.

So he let the quiet continue as scenery flashed around them. In another forty minutes, they would be back at the Japanese boy's apartment. Part of Suzaku looked forward to being back home, but another, perhaps larger, part of him wanted to stay away from his life. The thought made him frown. No, he told himself, he had to go back. He had no choice. He owed a service.

In his internal conflict, he didn't catch Lelouch staring at him.

~0~0~0~

Lelouch studied Suzaku, from his behaviour and speech patterns, to the expressions on his face when he thought no one was looking, to how he held himself, everything. If he was going to be staying with the Japanese, he needed to know about him and be able to anticipate every word he said. He needed to keep his secrets safe with him, and he would not allow Suzaku to surprise him. Lelouch wasn't fond of surprises.

Surprises were bad. When taken by surprise, it caused people to slip up and allow important information to be gained by the enemy. Lelouch prided himself on being able to pinpoint surprises before they could surprise him, and he would use that skill to the best of his ability during his time in Japan.

But people were three dimensional, not flat. Until he knew Suzaku better, he couldn't be sure what the best way to keep things from him was, or how to avoid subjects that might cause a mistake in his facade. The worst thing he could do was to be too quick to judge or trust. The first step in what he had to do was to analyze what he already knew.

Suzaku was physically strong, that much was obvious. Not only did he easily overpowered a tough thug with one hand, but Lelouch had been able to feel his muscles as they slept. That piece was definite. He was in the military, and from what the Brit could tell, it was for the purpose of being a peacekeeper. While Lelouch had let harsh comments slip, Suzaku didn't seem to take offense and was still extremely nice. Masochism? No, that didn't seem right.

Other than that, the Japanese boy appeared to be of average intelligence. He was friendly and approachable, yet it was clear that hardly anyone gave him the time of day. By the way they slept, Lelouch could tell that Suzaku was caring and even a bit protective of him, though whether that was out of politesse or seeing the Brit as a friend was still unclear. Another fact was that the Japanese didn't even question the tiny hesitation in Lelouch revealling his "surname", which went to show how Suzaku either trusted him or couldn't tell that he was lying. Or both, although the Brit didn't understand why the first would be true.

Lelouch glanced around the car. Other than him and Suzaku, there was an old lady, probably in her seventies, knitting a purple scarf at the other end on his side, and a middle-aged man reading an newspaper in the middle on Suzaku's side. They were both Japanese, possibly going to the Tokyo Settlement as well, but Lelouch wasn't sure if the train made stops to other places.

After what the Brit deemed to be around fifteen minutes, Suzaku spoke up. "Hey, Lelouch?" His voice was unsure, as though he was debating whether or not to say what was on his mind. The boy in question raised his eyebrows, a signal to continue. "Er, well, I just wanted to ask you... Are you an aristocrat or something?"

"No." It technically wasn't a lie; he belonged to royalty, not aristocracy. Though, he supposed, perhaps it was a lie since being a prince would probably count as 'or something'. "What gave you that idea?"

The Japanese boy laughed, a small and awkward thing, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I was just thinking because... Well, I'm not quite sure what the logic was, but you just seem to hold yourself higher than most civilians do, so... Oh, and also your dad sending you here."

Lelouch snorted. "We have money, but we aren't aristocrats, and my father just has a cruel sense of humour," he dismissed with an wave of his hand.

Suzaku nodded, and that was the end of that conversation.


	4. Start Four: The Leech and the Host

**A/N: Hello, hello. I'm pleased to announce that I have plans for the future of this story, but in the meantime, I need ideas and suggestions for what Lelouch and Suzaku get up to before then. How many ideas and suggestions I receive will more than likely dictate how long it takes me to update, so please send me them, either by review or PM.**

**AU in which Suzaku and Lelouch get to second base. (Though they have technically slept together already.)**

**Also, AU in which Charles is a massive Prick. (Though that's already cannon.)**

**I don't own Code Geass.**

**And yeah, this chapter is significantly longer than the others.**

**~0~0~0~**

_Lelouch clenched his hands into fists, trying to contain the anger he felt at the old man he called father. "But if you keep your policies the way they are, people will keep rebelling, and they will never accept your rule," he said, his voice even and controlled._

_The emperor, Charles Zi Britannia, scoffed at the words and waved his hand in dismissal. "Did you call me here just to lecture me on those Numbers? I have better things than to just sit here and argue with you, Lelouch."_

_"Running your empire effectively should be the most important thing you have to do. What if someone comes along and finally-"_

_"Enough!" his father roared. "I don't have time for your trivial nonsense. Go back to your studies and leave my sight. I'm not going to be bothered by a teenager who thinks he knows better than me. What experience do you have with running an empire?"_

_Snorting, Lelouch stood his ground in the throne room, halfway across the threshold of the door and where his father sat. "A good leader should take what people tell him into consideration, but obviously no one taught you that. And no, I won't go back to my studies because all those books do is glorify Britannia, an empire that takes over and oppresses those who aren't exactly like its own citizens."_

_Charles growled, annoyed at being questioned. "Leave my sight or so help me. You are nothing but a spoiled brat who's getting a big head out of nothing. You aren't even an adult yet, you unruly sniveling child. Your points are mundane and unimportant," he spat with the grace of a king_

_"That's redundant! If you want to add more meaning, say something new and don't keep repeating the old! That's the problem with Britannia." The teen could start to feel the skin break beneath his fingernails. His rage for the past several years was threatening to spill over, and it was a struggle to keep it at bay. "It's a static country that preaches social darwinism and is unable to move forward to the future. You kill people without a second thought for no gain other than to rule by fear! Do those deaths mean anything to you? All those lives wasted on your pathetic - are those mundane and trivial?"_

_"All people die. That's the cycle of life, and if you haven't realised that by now, then you've learnt nothing from your years of being alive. And what do you know of life anyway? You've never been alive at all! All you have is from me, you leech. Without me, you'd be dead, a useless child who couldn't survive a day on your own, let alone make a life for himself. Who are you to question me? No one! You are nothing, Lelouch; you were dead from the moment you were born. A lifeless corpse has no right to challenge the emperor of the greatest country to ever exist."_

_Lelouch raised his fist up to his chest, then leashed it out to the side as if punching the air. A single drop of blood spattered against the crimson rug. "I don't need you to live! I'll make my own life, and I won't do it depending on you. And if I am dead, then that is a fault of your actions and poor parenting. How can I live when I've never known life in the first place? Leeches feed off of people intentionally, and if I'm a parasite, then it isn't by choice! I will never accept a man like you as my father, let alone a man!"_

_"Enough of this tomfoolery already." Charles Zi Britannia rose to his feet, looking down on his blood and raising a hand towards him. It was not a hand to save, however; it was a hand to condemn. "If you think you can live without me, then prove it! As per consequence of your words, I send you to trial in Area Eleven. If you can survive, then prove it! Maybe then, I'll accept you as my son."_

~0~0~0~

"Hey, Lelouch?"

The prince tensed, startled out of his daydream, but relaxed when he looked up to see the smiling face of Suzaku, who was standing in front of his seat on the train, which was stopped and letting people off. This was their station; they arrived at the Tokyo Settlement. "Yes, I understand," he said as he rose to his feet as well to follow the Japanese boy out of the car.

Perhaps his tone was too formal, for Suzaku's smile dropped a bit, but that couldn't be helped on such short notice. "So, Lelouch," he said the Brit's name carefully as though testing whether or not they were friends, "is there anything you want to see in Tokyo? I can show you around since I have a few days off. Only if you want to, of course."

Lelouch softened his face to look more approachable and less like he wanted to kill someone. "If you want to, some fresh air could probably do me some good. Just don't spend any money on me, okay? At this rate, I won't be able to pay you back for everything you're doing." His father's words cut into him again. "I mean, you don't have to do anything for me. I don't want to cause you any trouble."

"No," the Japanese snorted, "it's no trouble at all. If I'm to be honest, I'd like the company. I'm kind of-"

He stopped midsentence, but Lelouch could easily fill in the rest. _I'm kind of a traitor to my people and trash to the Britannians, so I don't really have any friends_. How horrid, the prince thought. But maybe that meant that Lelouch didn't have to feel guilty about staying with the other. If Suzaku benefitted, then it wasn't a parasitic relationship. "In need of a friend, I understand." The Brit smiled as they walked through the station, relieved with his reasoning.

"Actually, there is something you could do to repay me." That drew a curious hum from Lelouch, who pretended not to know the answer. "You could cook for me. You said that you cook for yourself because you don't like food that other people make, so it works for both of us. I don't have much time to cook, plus I'm no good at it either way."

"I can agree to that as long as I use my own money to buy the stuff that I need." Lelouch took longer strides than he normally would in order to keep up with Suzaku's brisk steps and the flow of the crowd. As they walked, he noticed some dark glares thrown towards his companion, more than likely contempt for his style of dress. The prince cleared his throat. "Do you always wear yukatas?" he asked, somewhat casually.

The Japanese boy shrugged, seeming unbothered by how his clothing stood out in a station full of Britannians, but Lelouch could see the far-off look in his eye that betrayed his real feelings. "Only when I can, like holidays. I also wear them to train. Actually, if I had stayed in a motel last night, I would have changed out of it before coming back, but I guess that can't be helped." That brought the black-haired teen's eyes to the small bag that Suzaku carried, which went mostly unnoticed during the time they spent together. It wasn't anything special, just a plain sack that was slung over his shoulder.

It also reminded Lelouch of what their sleeping arrangements had been the night before, which brought a faint but noticeable blush to the Brit's cheeks. He had fallen asleep in odd places before, but that one took the cake. Instead of commenting, he inquired, "How far is it to your apartment?"

"Ten minutes walking distance from here, given you can manage that." Suzaku laughed a bit at his joke on how obviously unathletic the other was. "Anyway, Lelouch, tell me about yourself. I feel like you've been asking a lot about me, but all I know is that you miss your sister and like to cook."

Lelouch was careful to keep his face pleasant while inwardly raising his guard. If he slipped up and said something wrong, his cover would be blown, and that would bring unappealing outcomes. "What do you want to know?"

The Japanese boy took a moment to think. "What's your family like?"

"Well, my father's a prick, my sister is crippled, my mom is wonderful, and then there's me." There were also all his half-siblings - from Odysseus to Euphemia and everyone in between - but Lelouch would leave them out of the equation. Just one name known to the public would expose him.

"Crippled?" Suzaku repeated with a frown and a concerned look. He opened his mouth to continue, but his companion beat him to the punch.

"There was no accident, no, except for when she was born. My mother had trouble in labor, and the doctor screwed up and ever since she's been paralyzed from the waist down." His voice held a certain vindictive note; he never liked that doctor. "My mom and I take care of her since she can't walk. I suppose that it's nothing she misses since she's never known use of her legs, but I had a long talk with the doctor." Nunally and he were unknown to the public as they had yet to come of age, so that little bit of information was harmless. Later on, Suzaku would look back and realise that he was host to Lelouch Vi Britannia, but that was, hopefully, long in the future. The prince will have returned home by then, and all contact would have been lost between the two boys.

Presently, though, Suzaku nodded. "For some reason, I can imagine you doing that. And then you, what do you mean by 'and then there's me'? As far as I can tell, you're a nice guy."

They exited the station, out of the flow of the crowd and into daylight. Lelouch squinted a bit until his eyes got used to the bright rays of sunshine raining down on them. "I'm a rebellious teenager, my father is uptight. Common storyline there," he responded flippantly after a few moments of relative silence. The streets were less crowded that the station, and he could tell that they were near the edge of the Settlement and the Ghetto.

"Ah." Suzaku went quiet again. His companion got the feeling that he too had an ill relationship with his own father. "A-anyway, where do you live?"

"The Homeland." It was vague enough but still undeniably true.

"I've never heard the name Lamperouge."

"I'm not an aristocrat."

"Still though."

"What has you so convinced that I am?"

The Japanese boy shrugged, reflective. "The extent to which your father went to punish you. And maybe your pickiness with food. I'm probably just reading too far into things."

"Probably."

Neither of them spoke. Lelouch followed Suzaku's lead as they made their way down the street. A few minutes passed, and eventually they approached a decently sustained building that was teetering on the border of the two city sections. The Japanese opened the door to let the Brit go in first before walking to an elevator and calling it. "Nice building," Lelouch commented.

"For the Ghetto," Suzaku added.

Lelouch waved a hand in dismissal as the elevator door opened and they stepped in, and the Japanese boy pressed a button for the third floor. There weren't elevators at Aries, so the prince took an interest in the technology, though he knew that it was merely a pully system. The whole time he was studying the elevator, he was also studying Suzaku and the movements he made, but all the same, he tried not to look like he was putting the other under a microscope to do tests on him. A ding demanded his attention, and the doors opened once more.

Suzaku stepped out and began walking down the hall with Lelouch falling in step behind him. The apartment turned out to be a simple one, hardly furnished aside from a couch and table in what appeared to be the living room, which had a kitchen connecting to it and a hallway that branched off, and it was just large enough for one or two people to live comfortably.

Before Lelouch could get a word out, Suzaku had slipped down the hall. With a sigh and thought as to whether or not the silence was a good one, the prince wandered to the kitchen. It wasn't pristine like the ones at his home, but it wasn't dirty either; rather, it was something that he could find himself taking a liking to, though he wouldn't try eating off the floor. As he turned around to retreat back to the living room, he bumped into something - or, more precisely, someone.

"Suzaku..." He was about to make a comment about how the Japanese boy had startled him, but trailed off when the one in question held something out to him, which he grasped gently. "A yukata?" he asked, looking up at the other and raising an eyebrow.

Suzaku had changed into a plain white shirt and loose pants. "I figured we both could use a change of clothes, and you asked if it was comfortable, so I thought I'd let you wear one."

An easy smile adourned his face, and Lelouch was reminded of how his sister looked when offering new things to him. Beyond the smile, though, there was fear of rejection, something that the Brit didn't want to see in his eyes. With that in mind, he nodded. "Well, being in Japan was going to end up being a learning experience anyway, so why not?" While he knew that he wouldn't wear it outside, no one could dictate what they did in private.

"You're strange."

Lelouch frowned. "Why am I strange?"

"Because," Suzaku chuckled, "you say Japan."

However weird it was, the Brit could tell that his companion found solace in that tiny fact. Clearing his throat, Lelouch announced, "I'm going to go put this on."

In return, he earned a snort. "And you know how to?" Lelouch' shoulders slumped, and Suzaku had his answer. He held out his hand to take back the yukata. "Come on, I'll show you."

"Here?"

"Yeah, why?"

The prince unsuccessfully fought a blush. "Well, stripping in a kitchen isn't exactly how I thought my second day in a foreign country would pan out."

Suzaku seemed to find that funny, as he was having a hard time containing his laughter. "Speaking of stripping," he managed to get out, "you'll need a change of underwear too, won't you? I'll go get some for you." He handed the yukata back to Lelouch and took off, small giggles escaping him as he did so.

Huffing, the Brit glared down at the fabric in his hands. In retrospect, he could tell from the start that Suzaku was a very forward person, so it wasn't that he was surprised. No, he wasn't surprised at all; Lelouch didn't discriminate against him for being Japanese, so it would make sense for the boy to want to share even a tiny bit of his culture, something he indubitably had not been able to do in years. It was expected, but that didn't make Lelouch any less flustered at getting undressed in front of a stranger and then needing that stranger to help him redress. Then again, Suzaku could not necessarily be counted as a stranger at that stage. He was startled from his thoughts once again by the other's return.

"If you want to, I'll turn my back so that you can change underwear." The Japanese boy handed Lelouch a pair of boxers and recieved a mumbled 'thank you' in return.

Lelouch still grumbled as Suzaku turned away, then set down the clothes and began to take the ones he was wearing off. Once he did that, he grabbed the clean underwear, slipping it on before coughing to signal that he was done. Suzaku looked back at him with a smile. "Dress me," the prince commanded with the dignity of a nobleman, a contrast to his blushing red face.

With a chuckle, Suzaku picked up the yukata and opened it up. It was a pale purple with white flowers, and while he himself rarely wore it, it suited Lelouch. "Put your arms in the sleeves," he said, and the other obeyed. "Now, you have to lift it up so that it doesn't drag on the floor... Ankles are good..." Lelouch's back was to Suzaku as the Japanese boy guided his movements, the amused tone never leaving his voice. "Then you fold this over here, and then the other side... Okay, hold that..." He bent down to pick up a long, dark purple ribbon before wrapping it around Lelouch's waist twice and tying it at the front. "And now you pull that fabric up over the ribbon, and now you're wearing a yukata," Suzaku finished, looking satisfied with his work.

The Brit turned in circles as he inspected the way the cloth moved around his body. He had to admit that it looked good. "Suzaku."

"Yes?"

"Tell me that I look handsome in this."

Suzaku laughed a bit, then complied. "You look very handsome in that."

Lelouch smiled at him. Perhaps he could stay for a few days.


	5. Pause One: Outtakes

**A/N: This isn't an update as much as it is a bonus little thing. Anywho, I just want to remind anyone of the fact that I have plans for way in the future of the story, but not for the next few chapters.**

**Which is to say, if you want to see something happen, whether it be the tiniest thing or something that will take an entire chapter, tell me now and it will come out within the next few chapters, but after that I pretty much know what I'm doing.**

**You won't get updates very fast if you stay quiet.**

**On a different subject, here are a few deleted lines from the last four chapters that I almost wanted to put in, but not quite. You can probably see why.**

**Onwards, shall we?**

**Start One:**

**~~Lelouch almost peed himself when the fireworks went off with a thunderous bang.**

**~~The Brit returned the look, then frowned. "If you'd excuse me, though, my bladder is about to explode and I must go empty it."**

**Start Two:**

**~~Lelouch glared at him again, tucking his wallet back into the pocket of his red jacket. "Well damn, it looks like we're stuck with each other then... by some logic..."**

**~~"I don't know why I'm willing to let a complete stranger into my house," Suzaku said, "but damn, you make me feel pretty."**

**Start Three:**

**~~He dismissed the thought with an elegant, flamboyant wave of his hand.**

**Start Four:**

**~~"Now go to your room and play with your dollies like all of the other good children," Charles commanded.**

**~~"I had a long talk with that doctor. And I've been having long talks with him ever since. Our wedding is next month."**

**~~"As far as I can tell, you're a pretty swell dude."**

**And despite all of that, I allowed "stripping in a kitchen" to pass.**

**So to sum things up: Give me ideas if you have them, thank you for reading, I love your face, and have a great weekend.**


End file.
